1795 South Carolina GOVERNOR Arnoldus Vanderhorst, SC Militia, Kiawah Island

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1795 South Carolina GOVERNOR Arnoldus Vanderhorst, SC Militia, Kiawah Island:
$2500.00

Documentassigning John Sanford Dart as one of the Justices of the Quorum and a NotaryPublic signed by Arnoldus Vanderhorst, Governor and Stephen Ravenel,Secretary, 16 June 1795. Original seal attachedArnoldus Vanderhorst(/vænˈdrɑːs/; March 21, 1748 – January 29, 1815) was ageneralof the South Carolina militia during theRevolutionary Warand the38thGovernorofSouth Carolinafrom 1794 to 1796.
Born in Christ Church Parish, Vanderhorst took up planting at hisplantationon the Eastern half ofKiawah Islandin theLowcountry. He participated in theRevolutionary Waras an officer under the command ofFrancis Marion. During the war, he also served in theSouth Carolina House of Representativesfrom 1776 to 1780 and in theSouth Carolina Senatefrom 1780 to 1786. After his service in the state Senate, Vanderhorst was electedmayor of Charlestonfor two terms. He was elected mayor ofCharleston, South Carolinaon September 12, 1785.
In 1794, he was elected by theGeneral Assemblyas aFederalistto beGovernor of South Carolina. During his administration, Vanderhorst pressed the legislature for the revision of the criminal code because the sentences were so harsh that jurors would grant acquittal. In addition, he advocated for a prison system similar to that of the state ofPennsylvaniainstead of the state jails that were of medieval barbarity.
After leaving the governorship in 1796, he returned to hisplantationon Kiawah Island where he cultivated sea island cotton. Vanderhorst died on January 29, 1815 and he was buried at the St. Michael's churchyard inCharleston. He also proposed the need for a state penitentiary. Later the state penitentiary named Central Correction Institution that was open until 1994.